NOW CRITICAL

Grey River Argus, 16 September 1941, Page 5

NOW CRITICAL

LENINGRAD’S POSITION Enemy’s Violent Attacks [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] (Rec. 8.30). LONDON, Sept. 14. The battle for Leningrad is daily gathering in. ferocity. The Germans continue to attack violently. They do so regardless of cost. Day and night ther e are artillery duels. These have converted the baitleneld outside of the city into an inferno. Both sides are hurling immense quantities of steel and explosives against each other. The German forces are now massed on the approaches to the city. There is little doubt that Leningrad’s ' position is critical. A German communique says: As a result of favourable progress operations in the East the way is being cleared for a new successful battle. Aftbr strong German forces had broken into the fortified front of Leningrad, close encirclement of the city is irresistibly continuing, despite bitter resistance. Defenders’ Morale NO SIGN OF WEAKNESS. (Rec. 8.30). LONDON, Sept. 14. • The morale of the defenders of Leningrad shows no signs of weakening. Units of the Russian civil guard hgtve for three weeks 'been fighting shoulder to shoulder with Red Armv. regulars in what must be one of the bloodiest battles in history. The Russians have been Inflicting a terrific toll in casualties for every yard of territory which they have relinquished. The German High Command has been obliged to throw in fresh divisions.. , In Leningrad civilians have revealed that they are capable of acts no less daring than regulars. For example, g.rmed workmen have successfully repulsed a German attempt to storm the famous Putiliv Munition Works, outside the city. ’ „ According to Moscow “Pravda, civil guards are holding a sub-sector of the front, and thev drove back German forces at the bayonet point, crossed an unnamed river, and recaptured several villages. which thev held in spite of mass air raids. The “Pravda” says Marshal Woroshilov is ceaslessly attacking in the Shlusselbujg region, where the fighting line has been moving back and forth with the fortunes of battle. Guerrillas have been giving effective “behind the line” support for Leningrad’s defenders It is officially stated a single band of guerrillas killed over 300 Germans, routed an enemy unit headquarters, and destroyed large quantities of material The Russian High Command reports :'“Planes from the Russian Baltic Fleet have ioined in the defence of Leningrad. Thfy already have inflicted heavy losses by dive-bomb-ing?* ' Russian Success (Rec. 8.30). LONDON. Sept. 14. A Moscow communique statea. unit of Marshal Voroshilovs Army on the north-west iront. during repeated battles, destroyed over ten thousand Germans, two hundred tanks, and hundreds of motorcars and guns. TWO GERMAN DESTROYERS ■ SUNK. (Rec. 11.15) MOSCMOW. Sept 15. The ‘ Isvestia” reported: Two German destroyers have been sunk in the first attempt cf the Germans to enter the Leningrad approaches. Leningrad Air Battles r.a.f. aid welcome. (Received Mid-night). LONDON, September 15. British help for the Russians. by air, must be welcome now, as the air battles over Leningrad are approximating the battle of Britain Moscow to-dav mentions .onp.bauie in which one hundred enemy ail ’ c ' ral J; were engaged. It states that 170 the enemy planes were destroyed, and the remainder were driven oft. NEW GERMAN PLANE.

LONDON, September 14. 1 The Germans are rising the latest . types of planes in the great air bat- ■ ties over Leningrad, says the Exchange Agency’s Moscow correspondent g Qnf of these types the Messerschmitt 115, was brought down It is a single-seater fighter of l,wJ horse-power, and is stated to have a , speed of 400 miles per hour and a ■wing-span of 31 feet , Smolensk Region RUSSIANS GAIN MORE GROUND. (Rec. 8.30). . . LONDON, Sept. J* ' Moscow claims that Russian artil lery have been shelling German positions around Smolensk. It also clal that advanced Russian units are onlv 12 miles from Smolensk It is also reported that Russian forces after capturing Yelnya are now fighting near Yartsevo andl that many Germans have been taken prisoner. BRYANSK BATTLE. LONDON, September 14. The crreat battle which has been nroceedhig since the end of August fn°the. Bryansk area e is m an . al ’l |a ] a t ! s . “The Germans broke in“a Motorised “ officers and men. lost nearly W- 00 ? ™.“ c %' on vehicles. ’"Two field guns The 29th. Motorand 100 neia broken up and ised Division was wpn tv-six towns Wage? were by pari bv the Red Air course of the writer W < ha ‘;£ b ™ dropped a week. £> ov * rrb hottie he says, is 29,000 bombs. Ihe battie, ne j proceeding. . the GermanIn the early daysot ™ n going on 12 weeKsa the German three principal goals tor Kiev dr've—Moscow Le a Nevert heless. —has been gained- of the So _ although the des t™ n has not been viet armies in the fieM n doubtedl territorial 80 The enemy’s reajtationjhat Russia *i “n “The “foltowing message to a rated in the ion k war corres . German newspaper by a, t “Act| t a r me that the G on e the actual positions on

the front. On the contrary, it seems to be a fact that it is well informed where the position is good and where it is critical. The chief regiment commanders of the Finnish. Army Corps state that the Red trdops fight very stubbornly and not carmg whether the position is hopeless or whether the attack comes from the rear or in the front. The fact that the Red soldiers fight fanatically, preferring death t 0 surrender, is a cause of severe losses on both sides. The Soviet mid-day communique stated: Last night our troops were engaged fighting the enemy on the enure front. Sunday’s Operations RUSSIAN REPORT. 67 PLANES DESTROYED ON FRIDAY. (Rec. 11.25). RUGBY. September 15. A Russian communique on Sunday night stated: During Sunday our troops continued to wage stubborn 'battles against the enemy along the whole front. “On Friday, September 12th , twen-ty-one German planes were brought down in air battles, and forty-six were destroyed on aerodromes. Altogether, sixty-seven enemy planes were destroyed. We lost twentyeight. During Sunday, a German reconnaissance plane was brought down near Moscow. GERMAN GENERAL KILLED (Rec. 9.20) LONDON, Sept. 14. / n Army Commander, General Ritter ven Schobert, was killed during the fighting on the Eastern front on September 12. A Berlin message states General Von Schobert, whose death was cabled to-day, is the fourth German General killed in Russia. He commanded a corps which advanced across the River Dniester from Bessarabia into the Ukraine. BRITISH AID. R.A.F. SQUADRONS IN ACTION. • LONDON, September 14. The vital importance of the maximum British and American help is fully appreciated in London, and a number of official statements during the week describing the extent of the assistance which is being and will be sent to Russia have received wide publicity and approval in the Press, which universally urges that more and still more materials of war should be dispatched as soon as possible.

It is learned in London that a wing of the Royal Air Force has arrived in Russia. This means that British airmen are ready to fight with Britain’s allies in the east. The first indication that British pilots might take part in the Russian campaign was given by Mr. Churchill last week, when he revealed that hundreds of machines were being sent to Russia and that many had already arrived. No indication was then given, however, that the planes would be piloted and serviced by R.A.F. personnel. A wing of the R A.F. is a self-con-tained unit of airmen, ground personnel, and git least two squadrons of aircraft. The term “wing” is elastic, and no precise figure can be given for the number of aircraft. British aeroplanes manned by Russians have been in action over Leningrad, and according to a report from Stockholm they have been extremely successful in combating dive-bomb-ers. British pilots will now also take part in the battles. The number ol squadrons making up the wing sent to Russia has not, for obvious reasons, been disclosed. Lieutenant-Colonel Allan Monkhouse, who has been appointed as an assistant to Lord Beaverbrook, head of the British mission to Moscow, was once a pupil of the Stratford High School. He is a son of the late Mr. William Monkhouse, who was well known in the Stratford district as a farmer at Rowan. Mr. Monkhouse, senior, stcod for Parliament but was unsuccessful, and returned to England, settling in Worcestershire. Lieutenant - Colonel Monkhouse was in Russia during the revolution and he and some companions endured many hardships in their efforts to leave Russia. Eventually they escaped via Siberia to Vladivostock. They were in rags when they reached the Russian Pacific pert, but managed to get away to Japan. After joining the Vickers] Engineering Company, LieutenantColonel Monkhouse returned to Russia as chief engineer of the company’s staff engaged on electrical engineering for the Soviet. He was i a prominent figure among the foreign specialists who were charged in 1933 with sabotaging Russian industry and was expelled from Russia. Mr. Wilfred Mcnkhouse, Wanganui, is a brother of Lieutenant-Colonel Monkhouse.

MOSCOW RADIO BAITS HITLER (Rec. 9.10) LONDON, Sept. 14. Moscow radio has recalled that the beginning of the thirteenth week of the German-Russian war was marked by the 120th anniversary of Napoleon’s march into Moscow. It says that Napoleon’s time-table from the day that he invaded Russia until he reached Moscow was 83 days. It says that, 85 davs after following Napoleon’s path, Hitler is still two hundred miles from Moscow. The announcer proceeded: “Adolf Hitler, vour miserable ape of Napoleon, you bloody dilettante of the century, how do you like Moscow? Have you seen the' Kremlin yet? Napoleon reached the Kremlin, but what he saw there was writing on the wall that spelled disaster. Hitler, you megolomaniac, you will never see the Kremlin! You vain fool, like a mad dog you have thrown vourself on the Russians. Like a mad dog, you will be exterminated.” ’ BRITISH SUPPORT. RUGBY, September 12. “It is vital that .we should give to our Russian allies the fullest assistance in our power,” said the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare (Mr. Dingle Foot), in a speech at Edinburgh “In the House of Commons thi-> week the Prime Minister referred to the aircraft and munitions of war which are being sent, even at the expense of our own equipment, but there are other commodities of which the Russians are in need and with which we, in fact, are providing them, commodities such as rubber, tin. wool, lead, and jute, all of whicn are essential to the Russian war effort.

“Transport is a difficult problem but nevertheless we have manage., to send substantial shipments to ouri Allies. Even before the German invasion of Russian territory a' close, study had been made of the problem | of Soviet requirements. It will be | remembered that a military mission ( left this country for Moscow on June 29. “On that day a telegram was received setting out the principle commodities of which the Russians are m need, but to a considerable extent we had not anticipated what this re quest would be and preparations were already far advanced for tne supply of many items on the list within a week of the request bem; received. Cargoes had been made and the ships set sail. “No one suggests that economic assistance is enough, but to tne utmost of our ability and with the least possible delay, we have made available to our Russian allies tne resources of the British Empire.